Rising crime rates among Washington teens have become a pressing issue for the entire community, and we must take action to protect the people of our city from this dangerous trend. According to the Washington Post, violent crime rates among teens have increased by 28 percent since January –– 50 instances of which children and teens have been shot, sometimes at the hands of other children –– a startling increase in such a brief period.
Additionally, there have already been over 200 homicides reported in the city since the beginning of the year, according to ABC News. These statistics have an even deeper impact than the numbers reflect, as each of these murders affects more than the victim alone and causes heartbreak for their friends and families. Each homicide represents the loss of a unique member of our wider community and their contributions to it. Our leaders cannot stand by and allow so many of its residents’ lives to be needlessly lost. Urgent measures must be put in place to preserve the safety of our city.
One major way the local government can reduce crime rates among teens is to provide mandatory evaluations, counseling and support from guidance counselors in local public schools. According to the University of Oxford, those suffering from psychological conditions such as depression and anxiety are around three times more likely to commit crimes than the average person. If these guidance counselors could regularly meet with students or even provide recommendations for more long-term therapy or external support, it would help teens manage these conditions without turning to violence. While such programs may be ambitious or costly, they would be well worth the expense as they would lead to a significant decrease in crime rates among the city’s youth.
Another way to reduce crime rates would be the implementation of school programs that help students cope with and overcome their challenges in a peaceful manner. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention argues that if teens are not provided with spaces to vent and manage their internal conflicts, these issues can spiral out of control and make them more prone to acting out. A way that schools can help students achieve greater peace within themselves is through regular, mandatory in-school programming, such as support groups or meditation sessions led by specialists. According to the Mayo Clinic, meditation specifically can bring a sense of calm, peace and balance, which would help improve teens’ mindsets and thus dissuade the violent impulses that encourage misconduct and crime. Additionally, they can provide resources for students to implement these healthy mental habits in their day-to-day lives in and out of school.
Washington must act immediately to combat the skyrocketing crime rates among its most vulnerable residents. We must protect the lives of Washington residents and ensure that younger generations can grow up with a firm knowledge of productive, non-violent habits. The best way to do this is through school programming, as schools directly interact with these teens on a daily basis and are a safe space for students who may come from difficult backgrounds. We can no longer ignore this issue because every day we wait puts another life at risk.
